The embodiments herein relate generally to system for controlling one or more electrical outlets.
Homes and offices include one or more electrical outlets that are controlled by a switch. While the switch is often located in a convenient place, the switched outlet may be located in an area that is less than desirable. For example, a user may want to have a light controlled by a switch, but the switched outlet is located on the opposite side of the room from where the user wants to put the lamp. Current solutions to this problem rely on plugging a remote-controlled unit into an always-on electrical outlet. The unit is controlled by a remote control unit, which switches the output of the unit on and off. The remote control is a separate unit which may be mounted on a wall, attached to a key chain, or so on. Alternatively, the remote control is a software application running on a mobile device or computer. In this case, the remote control requires a wireless network to connect to the unit. In some cases, an Internet connection is also required. Current solutions do not provide a way to control an always-on outlet with an existing switch. Current solutions also do not provide a means for controlling a switch based on an input other than the remote control.